#lichenized

Xanthoparmelia plittii

Plitt’s rock shield 

I don’t know who Plitt is. Odds are, a lichenologist or naturalist, but one beloved enough to have a lichen named in their honor. Or someone with the guts to just straight up name a lichen after theirself. Either way, I admire them, and admire the beautiful X. plittii to boot. This foliose lichen has long, narrow, irregularly-shaped lobes that grow in rounded rosettes which can be up to 10 cm in diameter. The center of the yellow-green rosettes are covered in dense brown isidia, and the underside is pale to dark brown with pale brown rhizines. Apothecia are rare. They are slightly raised from the surface, and have a thin, smooth margin and brown disc. X. plittii grows on acidic rock in forested, intermediate elevations in North America, South America, and southern Africa. 

images: source | source

Lepraria finkii

Fluffy dust lichen, spring confetti 

This lichen as a leprose thallus, meaning that it is made up of loose fungal hyphae and algal cells not covered or held together by a cortex. These gather on top of a hypothallus, so that the surface looks cottony or wooly. The margins of this lichen are more or less distinct, and can appear lobed, making it almost appear foliose. It has amore distinct margin than similar species, but can also occur more scattered and irregular, making it hard to distinguish. The coloration is bluish-green to grayish-green. L. finkii is common and widespread, and grows on bark and moss in humid regions. 

images: source

Trapeliopsis granulosa

Granular mottled-disk lichen 

I was doing some research on lichen dispersal when I came across this interesting lichen and had to share! T. granulosa is a granular, verrucose (wart-like), crustose lichen that is widely distributed around the world. It can be recognized by those greyish-greenish-whiteish convex areoles that make up the dense crust, and its irregular, blobby apothecia. It is considered an important colonizer of burned forest land as it prefers mineral-rich or acidic soils and decaying or charred wood, and play a role in the development of open conifer stands (source). Personally, it kinda reminds me of those popcorn ceilings that were popular in the 70s and 80s until we all found out the contained asbestos. Instead of that, maybe try covering your ceiling in T. granulosa! If it can establish itself off charred soil, maybe it could establish on your ceiling! Go ahead, try it! 

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